Food and Agriculture

Genetically Modified Food. Public opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops has not been based solely on concern about biological risks. Economic risks have been widely cited too: the fear that the world's food supply will be concentrated in the hands of a few large firms, the fear that such firms will engage or are already engaging in anti-competitive practices, and the fear of the transfer of ownership rights over genetic resources to the private sector. This essay by Dietmar Harhoff, Pierre Régibeau and Katherine Rockett assesses whether these fears are justified. "Genetically Modified Food: Evaluating The Economic Risks" is published by Economic Policy

A Dow Jones Index for Nature. Is it possible to construct a composite indicator for measuring the development of biodiversity? The Natural Capital Index captures changes in biodiversity as changes in the makeup of important ecosystems such as forest, grassland, tundra and deserts. "Biodiversity indicators for the OECD Environmental Outlook and Strategy" is published by the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment.